Best Ways to Purify Water Without Electricity?

[ChrysanthiDream]

When the grid goes down, what methods have folks here found most reliable for purifying water without any electricity? I know boiling works if you can make a fire, but I'm curious about tried-and-true options like gravity filters, solar stills, or maybe even old-school methods using charcoal and sand. Has anyone used these in a real situation, not just in theory? Any tips or pitfalls to watch out for?

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Gravity filters are my go-to—used a Berkey during a weeklong outage and it did great, even with pretty cloudy rainwater. They take longer than you’d think, so patience is key. Tried making a sand/charcoal filter in a pinch, but it’s really just for pre-filtering; still need to disinfect after. Anyone had luck with a solar still in damp climates

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Solar stills are super slow, especially if it’s cloudy or humid—barely got a cup a day. Have you ever tried purifying stream water with iodine tabs instead?

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Gravity filters really do a good job, especially the stainless types with solid carbon blocks. Used mine during a flood when our well got contaminated—tasted fine and no tummy trouble, but like Marigold said, it does take a while to process murky water. For real emergencies, I also keep a stash of calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) since it stores better than liquid bleach; you

 

[BlueHarborTea]

Used iodine tabs camping but always hated the taste; gravity filters win for daily use, but I’d love tips to make homemade charcoal filters more effective—anyone found a good trick?

 

[OrbitJazz21]

The trick with homemade charcoal filters is to use really fine, crushed activated charcoal and pack it tight between layers of cloth or sand. Ever tried double filtering for better taste?